Tampon assembly having a shaped pledget

ABSTRACT

A tampon assembly having a barrel, a plunger, and a pledget is provided. The plunger is slidably received in the barrel. The pledget is in the barrel between the insertion tip and the plunger so that a force applied on the plunger can expel the pledget from the barrel. The barrel has a plurality of petals defining an insertion tip, which has a first taper ratio of more than about 0.3 to less than 1.0. The pledget has a shaped tip that is disposed in the insertion tip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation application of copending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/399,108, filed Jan. 5, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No, 15/398,298, filed Jan. 4, 2017, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,105,267, granted on Oct. 23, 2018, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/807,163, filed on Jul. 23, 2015,now U.S. Pat. No. 10,105,266, granted on Oct. 23, 2018, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/713,974, filed onMar. 5, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,192,522, granted on Nov. 24, 2015,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/834,386, filed on Apr. 28, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,197,434, grantedon Jun. 12, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/467,482, filed May 2, 2003 the contents eachbeing incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a tampon assembly. Moreparticularly, the present invention is related to a tampon assembly thathas a shaped pledget.

2. Description of Related Art

A tampon assembly is used to inject an absorbent or hygienic material,known as a tampon pledget, into the vaginal vault. The pledget ofcommercial tampon assemblies is typically positioned in a barrel forexpulsion from a barrel by a plunger. The use of such assembliesrequires a user to insert an end of the barrel into the vaginal vault.

Once the barrel has been inserted, the plunger can be used to expel thepledget from the end of the barrel into the vaginal vault. Once thepledget is in position, the pledget expands upon contact with moistureto conform to contours of the body and, thus, provide leakage protectionComfort to the user during insertion of the barrel and expulsion of thepledget is an important aspect for the commercial success of the tamponassembly. Furthermore, perceived and actual level of performance is alsodependent how comfortable the applicator is to insert into the user'sbody.

Many attempts have been made to increase the comfort associated with theuse of tampon assemblies. For example, the barrel of some tamponassemblies include a dome shaped end. The dome shaped end includes anumber or plurality of shaped petals configured to open during expulsionof the pledget. Unfortunately, the petals themselves can be a source ofdiscomfort. For example, the petals can collapse during insertion of thebarrel, which can increase the force required to eject the pledget fromthe barrel. This has led prior assemblies to increase the thickness ofthe petals to prevent the petals from collapsing. However, the increasedpetal thickness can also increase the force required to eject thepledget from the barrel. Since increases in ejection force can result inthe applicator being difficult to use, neither solution has beendesirable.

Additionally, in prior assemblies having blunt or unshaped pledgets,users often push the pledget as far into the applicator tip as possibleprior to insertion of the applicator. However, this can cause the petalsto open prematurely, namely before insertion of the barrel into thebody. The open petals provide prior barrels with a “clawlike” insertiontip, which can scratch during insertion of the barrel. Also, the openpetals can close during the insertion process, which can pinch the skinof the user.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need for tampon assemblies that canincrease comfort by addressing one or more of the aforementioneddrawbacks and deficiencies.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tampon assemblyhaving a shaped pledget.

It is another object to provide a tampon assembly having a taperedinsertion tip that has some portion of its inside surface supported by ashaped pledget.

It is yet another object to provide a tampon assembly that has anapplicator barrel that is easy to insert, and a shaped pledget thatgradually opens the petals of the barrel.

These and other objects and benefits of the present invention areprovided by a tampon assembly having a barrel, a plunger, and a pledget.The plunger is slidably received in the barrel. The pledget is in thebarrel between the insertion tip and the plunger so that a force appliedon the plunger can expel the pledget from the barrel. The barrel has aplurality of petals defining an insertion tip, which has a first taperratio of more than about 0.3 to less than 1.0. The pledget has a shapedtip that is disposed in the insertion tip.

These and other objects of the present invention are also provided by atampon assembly having a barrel, a plunger, and a pledget. The barrelhas a plurality of petals defining an insertion tip. The insertion tiphas an inner surface area. The plunger is slidably received in thebarrel. The pledget has a shaped tip. The pledget is in the barrel sothat the shaped tip supports a portion of the inner surface area. Aforce applied to the plunger can expel the pledget from the barrelthrough the plurality of petals.

The above-described and other features and advantages of the presentinvention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description, and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a tampon assemblyaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the barrel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the shaped pledget of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of an insertion tip having a shapedpledget according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along lines 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an alternate exemplary embodiment of an insertion tip having ashaped pledget;

FIG. 8 is a view taken along lines 8-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of the view of FIG. 8;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, anexemplary embodiment of a tampon assembly generally represented byreference numeral 10 is illustrated. Assembly 10 has a shaped pledget12, a barrel 14, and a plunger 16. Pledget 12 can include a withdrawalcord 18 connected thereto, which extends out of assembly 10.

Shaped pledget 12 is disposed in barrel 14 and significantly improvesthe performance of assembly 10 as compared to prior assemblies having ablunt or squared-off pledget.

Barrel 14 has a first end 20 and a second end 22. First end 20 definesan insertion tip 24 having a number or a plurality of petals 26. Petals26 are defined in first end 20 by a number or plurality of slits 28. Thenumber of slits 28 typically corresponds to the number of petals 26present. Insertion tip 24 terminates at a plane 30 defined at the baseor root of petals 26 (e.g., the bottom of slits 28).

Barrel 14 is illustrated by way of example as including six petals 26.Of course, it is contemplated by the present invention for barrel 14 tohave more or less than six petals. For example, barrel 14 can havebetween about two to about eight petals 26. Base 43 of petals 26 mayhave hinges to pivot each of petals 26 into or out of barrel 14 alongeach hinge.

Plunger 16 is useable to expel pledget 12 from barrel 14. Plunger 16 isslidably disposed in barrel 14 at second end 22. Pledget 12 is expelledthrough first end 20 through the movement of plunger 16 in the directionof arrow 32. As plunger 16 moves in the direction of arrow 32, theplunger can urge pledget 12 into petals 26 until the petals open alongslits 28 and the pledget is expelled from barrel 14 through insertiontip 24.

Referring to FIG. 3, insertion tip 24 has a length 34, an outer radialdimension 36, and an inner radial dimension 38. Preferably, barrel 14has a minimal thickness such that inner and outer dimensions 36, 38,respectively, can be considered to be substantially similar.

Length 34 is defined as the distance between first end 20 and plane 30.Insertion tip 24 is, preferably, tapered or elliptical in shape.Specifically, dimensions 36, 38 decrease along length 34, linearly ornon-linearly, from a maximum at plane 30 to a minimum at first end 20.

The taper of insertion tip 24 is defined as a ratio of the maximumradial dimension of insertion tip 24, namely radial dimension 36 atplane 30, divided by length 34. Preferably, insertion tip 24 has a taperratio of more than about 0.3 to less than 1.0, preferably about 0.6.

It has been determined that the perceived and actual level of comfort ofassembly 10 can be enhanced through the use of shaped pledget 12, shownin FIG. 4, for supporting petals 26 of insertion tip 24.

Pledget 12 has a tip section 40 that is, preferably, shaped to supportinsertion tip 24. Tip section 40 has a length 42 and an outer radialdimension 44 that decreases or is tapered along length 42. Length 42 isdefined as the distance between a front end 46 of pledget 12 and a plane48. Plane 48 is defined as a plane through pledget 12 where the taper oftip section 40 begins.

Tip section 40 supports or contacts (hereinafter “supports”) an innersurface area 50 of insertion tip 24 to provide increased comfort ascompared to prior assemblies. Inner surface area 50 is defined as thesurface area of tip 24 between first end 20 and plane 30.

Tip section 40 supports a portion 52 of inner surface area 50. Portion52 is considered to be “supported” by tip section 40 when outerdimension 44 is at least about 75%, more preferably about 85%, mostpreferably about 95% of inner dimension 38.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, an exemplary embodiment of portion 52supported by tip section 40 is illustrated. Insertion tip 24 isillustrated having a taper ratio of less than 1.0. Tip section 40 ofpledget 12 is illustrated supporting portion 52, which starts at firstend 20 and runs along in surface area 50 towards plane 30. In thisembodiment, pledget 12 supports petals 26 at least at first end 20. Itis contemplated that portion 52 can support at least about 10%,preferably at least about 50%, most preferably about 100% of surfacearea 50.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, an alternate exemplary embodiment ofportion 52 supported by tip section 40 is illustrated. Insertion tip 24is illustrated having a taper ratio of about 0.7. Tip section 40 ofpledget 12 is illustrated supporting portion 52, which starts at plane30 and runs along inner surface area 50 towards first end 20. In thisembodiment, pledget 12 supports petals 26 at least at the base of thepetals, namely at least at plane 30. It is contemplated that portion 52can support at least about 10%, preferably at least about 50%, mostpreferably about 100% of surface area 50.

It should be recognized that portion 52 is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8as being circular. However, it is also contemplated for tip section 40of pledget 12 to support specific portions 52 of inner surface area 50.For example, portion 52 can support inner surface area 50 at least atslits 28 of petals 26 as illustrated in FIG. 9.

Shaped pledget 12 should, preferably, occupy at least about 50% of thevolume of insertion tip 24, more preferably about 75%, most preferablyabout 95%, where the tip volume is the void defined by petals 26 andplane 30. When pledget 12 has a taper ratio (e.g., dimension 44 dividedby dimension 42) that is greater than the taper ratio of insertion tip24 as in FIG. 7, length 42 of pledget 12 should occupy at least about50% of length 34 of insertion tip 24, more preferably about 75%, mostpreferably about 95%. However, when pledget 12 has a taper ratio that isless than the taper ratio of insertion tip 24 as in FIG. 5, dimension 44of the pledget 12 at any given point along its length 42 should be atleast about 50% of the dimension 38 of applicator tip 24 at thecorresponding point, more preferably about 75%, most preferably about95%. However, when pledget 12 has a taper ratio that is less than thetaper ratio of insertion tip 23 as in FIG. 5, dimension 44 of thepledget at any given point along its length 42 should be at least about50% of the dimension 38 of applicator tip 24 at the corresponding point,more preferably about 75%, most preferably about 95%.

Advantageously, shaped pledget 12 prevents forces on insertion tip 24applied during insertion of barrel 14 into the body from collapsingpetals 26 inward towards the pledget. Further, shaped pledget 12 enablesthe petals to be made thinner to decrease the expulsion force whilestilling mitigating the collapse or deflection of petals 26.

Shaped pledget 12 also has been found to reduce instances of pinchingand scratching by petals during insertion of barrel 14. In priorassemblies having blunt or unshaped pledgets, users often push thepledget as far into the applicator tip as possible prior to insertion ofthe applicator. However, this can cause the petals to open prematurely,namely before insertion of the barrel into the body. The open petalsprovide prior barrels with a “claw-like” insertion tip, which canscratch during insertion of the barrel. Also, the open petals can closeduring the insertion process, which can pinch the skin of the user.Since shaped pledget 12 supports surface area 50, assembly 10 mitigatesinstances of these drawbacks and deficiencies of prior assemblies havingan unshaped pledget.

Assembly 10 has been found to increase comfort of use during both theinsertion of barrel 14 and the expulsion of pledget 12. First, the taperratio of insertion tip 24 facilitates insertion comfort by graduallyparting the vulva-vaginal channel over a longer length of the barrel ascompared to prior blunt ended barrels. In addition, tip section 40 ofpledget 12 gradually opens petals 26 over a longer length of the pledgetas compared to prior blunt ended pledgets.

Surprisingly, the applicator barrel having at most only three petalsaccording to the present disclosure requires an ejection force to expelthe shaped pledget from the barrel of less than about 50 ounces. In oneembodiment, the ejection force required to expel the pledget from thebarrel is between about 5 ounces to about 35 ounces. In anotherembodiment, the ejection force required to expel the shaped pledget fromthe barrel is between about 8 ounces to about 2.5 ounces.

The ejection force may be measured by any suitable procedure known inthe art. By way of example, the ejection force may be measured asfollows. A totally assembled tampon with post-formed petals is used inthe test. A Weigh-Tronix.™. scale (Model #WI-130 or equivalent) is used.The scale is tared. The weights are recorded in ounces. The applicatoris grasped by the finger grip using the thumb and the middle finger.With the plunger end down, the applicator is placed on the top of thebalance platform and a steady downward motion is applied until thepledget is ejected from the applicator barrel. The maximum ejectionforce indicated by the scale is recorded. Generally, the mean andstandard deviation is determined for at least five samples.

Tip section 40 of pledget 12 can be shaped by compressing the tip to ahigher density than the rest of the pledget. Alternately, tip section 40can be shaped providing the tip with a less dense material that, whencompressed, provides the tip with the same density as the rest of thepledget. In addition, tip section 40 of pledget 12 can be shaped bycutting or trimming the tip to the desired shape so that the tip has thesame density as the rest of the pledget. Of course, combinations of oneor more of the aforementioned methods is contemplated by the presentinvention.

Suitable materials for forming shaped pledget 12 include, for example,cellulosic fibers such as, but not limited to rayon fibers, cottonfibers, pulp fibers, and; superabsorbent, such as Oasis; absorbent foam,such as hydrophilic polyurethane foam; or any combinations thereof.

Suitable materials for forming barrel 14 and/or plunger 16 include, forexample, biopolymer, cardboard, heat shrink plastic, paper slurry,plastic, plastic tubing, pulp slurry, pulp-molded paper, or anycombinations thereof. By way of example, barrel 14 can be formed oflow-density polyethylene (LDPE), and plunger 16 can be formed of axiallyoriented high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

It has also been discovered through consumer testing that consumersprefer a tampon assembly fabricated from a softer resin. Therefore,barrel 14 and/or plunger 16 may include a blend of about 0 wt. % toabout 100 wt. % LDPE and about 100 wt. % to about 0 wt. % thermoplasticelastomer (TPE). In another preferred embodiment, barrel 14 and/orplunger 16 are formed from a blend comprising about 50% to about 90%LDPE, and about 50% to about 10% TPE. In another preferred embodiment,barrel 14 and/or plunger 16 are formed from a blend comprising about 80%LDPE and about 20% TPE.

In another embodiment according to the present disclosure, a preferredTPE to use is a tri-block (terpolymer), having an A-B-A configuration ofmonomers, in which monomer B is not the same as monomer A. Preferredmonomer blocks are styrene, butadiene (or isoprene), and styrene. Thereare also other classes of thermoplastic elastomers that one could use.These include, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers andothers. These and other classes are described in a book entitledThermoplastic Elastomers: A Comprehensive Review, ed. N. R. Legge, G.Holden and H. E. Schroeder, Munich: Hauser, 1987, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. Examples ofother suitable resins that may be used in the present disclosure aredescribed in co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,681,894; 5,986,000; 6,254,565;and 6,756,434, as well as related published Patent ApplicationUS2005/0070645 A1; the disclosures of which are incorporated in theirentirety by reference herein.

Other additives could also be added to the polyolefins to providespecific benefits, such as greater thermal stability, greaterflexibility, higher lubricity, anti-static behavior, greater latitude ofprocessing, colorants, and so on. Such additives would be familiar tothose skilled in the art of polymer and thermoplastic formulations.Examples are provided in standard texts, for example, Additives forPlastics, ed. J. Thuen, published by D.A.T.A. Inc. the InternationalPlastics Selector, 1987. Another ext is the Plastics Compounding Redbookfor Resin Producers, Formulators and Compounders, published annually byAdvanstar Communications, Cleveland, Ohio, ed. La Verne Leonard.

It should be recognized that pledget 12, barrel 14, and/or plunger 16can have any cross-sectional shape, such as circular and non-circular,including oval or polygonal shapes. Furthermore, it is contemplated bythe present invention for the cross-sectional shape to vary along thelength of pledget 12, barrel 14, and/or plunger 16.

It should also be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”and the like may be used herein to modify various elements. Thesemodifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order tothe modified elements unless specifically stated.

While the present invention has been described with reference to one ormore exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of theinvention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt aparticular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosurewithout departing from the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tampon assembly comprising: a barrel comprisedof a single layer tubular wall and having a first end and a second end,the barrel having a cylindrical section located between the first endand the second end and a plurality of discrete petals at the first endthat define a tapered insertion tip section, the discrete petals beingseparated from each other by a plurality of cuts through the tubularwall, each of the plurality of cuts having a terminal end adjacent abase region of the plurality of discrete petals, the tapered insertiontip section extending a first length measured from the cylindricalsection of the barrel to the first end of the barrel, the cylindricalsection of the barrel being longer than the first length of the taperedinsertion tip section, the tapered insertion tip section having a firsttaper ratio defined as a radius of the barrel at the base region dividedby the first length of the tapered insertion tip section; a pledgetlocated within the barrel, the pledget having a cylindrical portion thatis located within the cylindrical section of the barrel, the pledgethaving an insertion end region that has been compressed to form atapered pledget tip that has a tip density that is greater than anadjacent region density, the tapered pledget tip having an outer radialdimension that is at least about 75% of an inner radial dimension of theinsertion tip section such that the tapered pledget tip supports aportion of an inner surface area of the plurality of the petals when thepledget tip is positioned adjacent the first end, the tapered pledgettip having a second taper ratio that is defined as a radius of thepledget at the cylindrical portion divided by a second length of thetapered pledget tip, the second taper ratio being greater than the firsttaper ratio, the tapered pledget tip fitting within the taperedinsertion tip section and occupying at least about 50% of the firstlength of the tapered insertion tip section of the barrel; and a plungerslidably received in the second end of the barrel, the plunger movingthrough the cylindrical section of the barrel while expelling thepledget from the barrel.
 2. The tampon assembly according to claim 1,wherein the first taper ratio is between about 0.3 and about 1.0.
 3. Thetampon assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first taper ratio isabout 0.6.
 4. The tampon assembly according to claim 1, wherein thetapered insertion tip section is generally elliptical in shape.
 5. Thetampon assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tapered pledget tipoccupies at least about 85% of the volume of the tapered insertion tipsection.
 6. The tampon assembly according to claim 1, wherein theplunger is comprised of high-density polyethylene including afriction-reducing material.
 7. The tampon assembly according to claim 1,wherein the tapered pledget tip occupies at least about 50% of a volumeof the tapered insertion tip section.
 8. A tampon assembly comprising: abarrel comprised of a single layer tubular wall and having a first endand a second end, the barrel having a cylindrical section locatedbetween the first end and the second end and a plurality of discretepetals at the first end that define a tapered insertion tip section, thediscrete petals being separated from each other by a plurality of cutsthrough the tubular wall, each of the plurality of cuts having aterminal end adjacent a base region of the plurality of discrete petals,the tapered insertion tip section extending a first length measured fromthe cylindrical section of the barrel to the first end of the barrel,the cylindrical section of the barrel being longer than the first lengthof the tapered insertion tip section, the tapered insertion tip sectionhaving a first taper ratio defined as a radius of the barrel at the baseregion divided by the first length of the tapered insertion tip section;a pledget located within the barrel, the pledget having a cylindricalportion that is located within the cylindrical section of the barrel,the pledget having an insertion end region that has been compressed toform a tapered pledget tip that has a tip density that is the same as anadjacent region density, the tapered pledget tip having an outer radialdimension that is at least about 75% of an inner radial dimension of theinsertion tip section such that the tapered pledget tip supports aportion of an inner surface area of the plurality of the petals when thepledget tip is positioned adjacent the first end, the tapered pledgettip having a second taper ratio that is defined as a radius of thepledget at the cylindrical portion divided by a second length of thetapered pledget tip, the second taper ratio being greater than the firsttaper ratio, the tapered pledget tip fitting within the taperedinsertion tip section and occupying at least about 50% of the firstlength of the tapered insertion tip section of the barrel; and a plungerslidably received in the second end of the barrel, the plunger movingthrough the cylindrical section of the barrel while expelling thepledget from the barrel.
 9. The tampon assembly according to claim 8,wherein the first taper ratio is between about 0.3 and about 1.0. 10.The tampon assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first taper ratiois about 0.6.
 11. The tampon assembly according to claim 8, wherein thetapered insertion tip section is generally elliptical in shape.
 12. Thetampon assembly according to claim 8, wherein the tapered pledget tipoccupies at least about 85% of the volume of the tapered insertion tipsection.
 13. The tampon assembly according to claim r 8, wherein theplunger is comprised of high-density polyethylene including afriction-reducing material.
 14. The tampon assembly according to claim8, wherein the tapered pledget tip occupies at least about 50% of avolume of the tapered insertion tip section.
 15. A tampon assemblycomprising: a barrel comprised of a single layer tubular wall and havinga first end and a second end, the barrel having a cylindrical sectionlocated between the first end and the second end and a plurality ofdiscrete petals at the first end that define a tapered insertion tipsection, the discrete petals being separated from each other by aplurality of cuts through the tubular wall, each of the plurality ofcuts having a terminal end adjacent a base region of the plurality ofdiscrete petals, the tapered insertion tip section extending a firstlength measured from the cylindrical section of the barrel to the firstend of the barrel, the cylindrical section of the barrel being longerthan the first length of the tapered insertion tip section, the taperedinsertion tip section having a first taper ratio defined as a radius ofthe barrel at the base region divided by the first length of the taperedinsertion tip section, the first taper ratio being between about 0.3 andabout 1.0; the barrel being comprised of a low-density polyethyleneincluding a friction-reducing material; a pledget located within thebarrel, the pledget having a cylindrical portion that is located withinthe cylindrical section of the barrel, the pledget having an insertionend region that has been compressed to form a tapered pledget tip, thetapered pledget tip having an outer radial dimension that supports aportion of an inner surface area of the plurality of the petals when thepledget tip is positioned adjacent the first end, the tapered pledgettip having a second taper ratio that is defined as a radius of thepledget at the cylindrical portion divided by a second length of thetapered pledget tip, the second taper ratio being greater than the firsttaper ratio, the tapered pledget tip fitting within the taperedinsertion tip section and occupying at least about 75% of the firstlength of the tapered insertion tip section of the barrel; and a plungerslidably received in the second end of the barrel and extending beyond aplurality of protrusions on the outer circumference of the tubular wall,the plunger moving through the cylindrical section of the barrel whileexpelling the pledget from the barrel.
 16. The tampon assembly accordingto claim 15, wherein the first taper ratio is about 0.6.
 17. The tamponassembly according to claim 15, wherein the tapered insertion tipsection is generally elliptical in shape.
 18. The tampon assemblyaccording to claim 15, wherein the tapered pledget tip occupies at leastabout 75% of a volume of the tapered insertion tip section.
 19. Thetampon assembly according to claim 15, wherein the tapered pledget tipoccupies at least about 95% of the first length of the tapered insertiontip section.
 20. The tampon assembly according to claim 15, wherein thepledget is expelled from the barrel by an ejection force in the range ofabout 5 ounces to about 8 ounces.